A PAST Olympian returned to Weymouth to test out a new sail and triumphed in round one of the United Kingdom Windsurfing Association’s 2011 national championships.

David Hackford, 47, who competed in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, claimed the title in the Raceboard fleet of 20 board sailors and won the event’s masters category as well.

Almost 100 competitors took to the waters of Portland Harbour for the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy-hosted first cup series event with the wind delivering gusts of 30 knots.

The four different race fleets included the Olympic RSX class, youth-based Techno, the Raceboard and Formula fleets.

Hackford, who now lives in Devon, said: “I won the Raceboard national title and the Masters as well, because of my age.

“Weymouth is where I learnt to windsurf in the 1970s so it was good to compete and win on my home waters. I took part in the Olympics in 1984 in LA, it was the first time windsurfing had been included in the Olympic Games and I came 20th.

“I went professional in the 80s and travelled all over the world.

“One of the reasons I’ve competed lately is because I work for Tushingham Sails and I wanted to test out a prototype.

“I’ll definitely keep going now I’ve got a winning sail.”

The former Weymouth Grammar School pupil added: “The organisation was fantastic and so is the Sailing academy, it’s inspirational for anybody to go to the Olympic sailing venue in the run up to the Olympics, sail on the water and wander around that building.

“There’s always some star of the current Olympic classes, I saw Nick Dempsey and had a chat with him.”

In the Techno Fleet – under-17 class – Keiran Martin flew home to win a massive 11 points clear of second-placed Adam Purcell.

Rich Jones won the Formula fleet after a consistent performance, while Sam Sills was the victor of the highly competitive RSX fleet. First female went to Jade Rogers, who achieved ninth position within the top-10 standings overall.